Artificial Sweeteners

Their link to dementia and strokes

BY ENDURANCE NEWS STAFF

The conclusion of a recent
study published in the
April edition of the journal,
Stroke, was direct and to-thepoint:
“Artificially sweetened soft
drink consumption was associated
with a higher risk of stroke and
dementia.”

Both sugar- and artificiallysweetened
beverage intake have
been linked to cardiometabolic
risk factors (the chances of
having diabetes, heart disease or
stroke), which increase the risk
of cerebrovascular disease— a
group of conditions that affect the
supply of blood to the brain—and
dementia.

This particular study, which
included nearly 3,000 participants
over 45 years old involved in
the Framingham Heart Study
Offspring cohort, showed that while
consumers of sugar drinks and
artificially sweetened drinks were
at increased risk for having smaller
brains and advanced brain aging,
the consumption of one artificially
sweetened diet soda daily was
associated with triple the risk of
suffering a stroke or becoming
demented.

While the increased incidences
of dementia and stroke were
associated only with those
consuming artificially sweetened
drinks, experts strongly recommend
that people not switch back to
sugar-sweetened drinks. Sugarsweetened
sodas contain copious
amounts of sugar, which has been
associated with numerous negative
health consequences, including:

Weight gain

Diabetes

High blood pressure, high
cholesterol, heart attacks, and
strokes

According to renowned nutritional
expert, Dr. Gabe Mirkin,
“Accumulating evidence shows
that sugared drinks are harmful to
your health. Several recent studies
suggest that artificial sweeteners
may also be harmful to your health.
The safest drink for quenching
thirst appears to be water.
Unsweetened coffee and tea appear
to be safe choices also.”

Bottom line: Staying away from
both sugar- and artificially
sweetened-drinks—even more so
the latter, it appears from this
latest study—will help keep you
clear of the many diseases and
health issues associated with both.

None of the Hammer Nutrition
fuels has ever contained any
artificial ingredients, including
artificial sweeteners. Instead, we
use the healthy sweeteners xylitol
and stevia. In addition to naturally
sweetening the product, both xylitol
and stevia promote positive oral
health, as neither ferment and
support the acid-producing bacteria
that cause tooth decay.